


Welcome to my bad place

by trysomecats



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Dysfunctional Family, Eventual Romance, Good Parent Jango Fett, Infrequent Updates, M/M, Obi-Wan Kenobi is a Mess, Protective Anakin Skywalker, Protective Qui-Gon Jinn, Qui-Gon is really trying, References to Depression, Slow Burn, Social Anxiety, Suicidal Thoughts, suicide attempt (referenced)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:53:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26351473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trysomecats/pseuds/trysomecats
Summary: After an unsuccessful suicide attempt and a long stay at Coruscant’s psychiatric hospital for children and adolescents, Obi-Wan Kenobi is hardly at what he can call a good place in life right now. Although he can now return to school, he is still very much under the watchful eyes of his friends and family.The only person who makes things slightly better is Cody Fett, the new kid who moved here with his father and brothers.
Relationships: CC-2224 | Cody/Obi-Wan Kenobi, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi & CC-3636 | Wolffe, Qui-Gon Jinn & Obi-Wan Kenobi
Comments: 96
Kudos: 402





	1. The first day back

“I’ll be parked here at exactly three o’clock.”

_Okay_.

“Anakin will meet you right outside your last class of the day, and he’ll walk you here before he goes to practice.” 

_Okay_.

“And once I pick you up, we’ll go straight to your counseling appointment.”

_Okay_. 

“Obi-Wan, are you listening to me?”

Obi-Wan looked up from his hands, both of which were twisted together in his lap. After taking two deep breaths, he turned his head and met Qui-Gon’s inquisitive gaze.

“Okay,” he finally said aloud. “May I go now?”

“You may,” Qui-Gon said, though he looked rather reluctant. “Remember: three o’clock.”

“I’ll remember.” 

“Have a good day then.”

Obi-Wan slung his backpack over one shoulder and exited the vehicle. He took his time walking through the parking lot, purposefully ignoring eye-contact with other lingering students. Qui-Gon deliberately stayed parked, watching until Obi-Wan had made it all the way inside of the building. 

That was all his father had been doing these recent days: watching him. 

That was to be expected though, seeing as he had only been released back home two weeks ago, after overdosing on a bottle of pills and having a very unpleasant stay at Coruscant’s psychiatric hospital for adolescents. 

In the time he had been home, Obi-Wan had rarely been left to his own devices. Everything about his life had been turned into a schedule: wake up at eight, breakfast and his prescribed medication, morning walk, meditation, reading, journal time, lunch, nap, making up missed schoolwork, another walk, dinner, being pestered by Anakin, more medication, and finally bedtime at nine-thirty. And, of course, there was counseling twice a week, usually sometime in the afternoon. 

Every single day, all in that order. The doctor had said routine would be good for Obi-Wan, and so that was what Qui-Gon ensured would happen. 

But now Obi-Wan was returning to school. There would still be a schedule to follow, but it was no longer under the worried eyes of his adopted father. Instead, it was under the prying eyes of the many gossiping, drama-hungry teenagers who occupied Coruscant High. 

That was fine by Obi-Wan; he had never cared much about his image in the first place. Of course, Anakin had ‘swore’ to Obi-Wan that nobody knew why he had disappeared from school for close to a month. A few rumors had been spread around: the most innocent one being that he had been “sick with a serious illness,” and one of the worst was that he had been in jail for drugs, burglary, or something of the likes. 

Obi-Wan doubted any of the students knew the truth: that he had tried to off himself, failed spectacularly, woke up in the hospital, and now had to prove to his therapist, doctors, and family that he wouldn’t try to do it again. That was a feat which was much easier said than done, especially considering the fact that he wasn’t even sure if he would ever try again. 

But, as his father was fond of saying, this was the here and now, and right now he was here at school. 

“Obi-Wan, there you are!” Anakin, who had climbed out of their car as soon as they’d arrived at school, greeted Obi-Wan just inside of the doorway.

Obi-Wan glanced up at his tall, enthusiastic younger brother. “Anakin, what do you think you’re doing?”

“Walking you to class, what does it look like?” 

“You’re not obligated to do that. Trust me, I won’t run off or anything, despite what Qui-Gon may think.” 

“I know,” Anakin said. “But what’s wrong with walking my big bro to first period?”

“You have advanced physics; that’s on the whole other side of the building.” 

“That’s okay, I’m tardy all the time.”

“Anakin,” Obi-Wan sighed. “Fine. But don’t blame me if you get detention.” 

Secretly, he found himself a bit relieved to be walking side-by-side with his brother. Anakin was the popular, outgoing type who could easily take the spotlight if he wished for it. While Obi-Wan didn’t necessarily consider himself introverted, he hardly wanted to interact with many other people at a time like this. As such, he allowed Anakin to distract any passerby who obstructed their path to his first class of the day. 

Anakin, with a protective arm slung around Obi-Wan’s shoulder, called out to various friends and peers as they walked through the hallway. Obi-Wan was relieved when many of them greeted him too, and fortunately not one person had pried too much about his absence yet. 

“Hi Rex!” Anakin called out to one boy in particular. He had a shaved head, bleached hair, and tan skin. He also wore shoes that were noticeably quite old, the left one even being duct-taped. 

“Morning, Anakin!” The boy said, nodding to him. 

“Who’s Rex?” Obi-Wan murmured, never having seen the boy before. 

“Rex Fett,” Anakin said. “He’s new, and he’s also got about a million brothers. Well, only five, but you get the point. They moved here with their dad two weeks ago.” 

“Five brothers?” Obi-Wan raised his eyebrows. “Wow. That must be a lot worse than having three.” 

“It’s not like we ever see Fee or Xan anymore.”

“True,” Obi-Wan agreed. Their eldest brother, Feemor, was teaching abroad for two years. They likely wouldn’t see him until next Christmas. Then there was Xanatos, who had been in prison for almost eight months now; it was still a very sensitive topic for their family. 

“Well,” Anakin said, once they reached Obi-Wan’s classroom. “Here we are. You gonna be okay?”

“I’ll be fine,” Obi-Wan said, though his heart began beating faster than before. 

Anakin didn’t move. 

“I promise,” Obi-Wan told him. The one thing he regretted about his suicide attempt was the impact it had left on his family. Anakin had been the one to find him, shortly after he had swallowed the-

“Okay,” said Anakin, just as the bell rang. “Just- text me if you need me. I’ll see you at the end of the day.”

“Thank you, Anakin.” 

Anakin gave his shoulder one last reassuring squeeze, and then left. Obi-Wan stood still for a moment. Then, he took a deep breath, straightened his shoulders, and walked into Ancient Literature, trying his best to look calm and composed. 

“Miss Gallia,” Obi-Wan greeted his teacher, actively avoiding looking at the other students. Walking past people in the hallway was one thing, but being stuck in a small room full of twenty was a bigger challenge. 

“Obi-Wan!” His teacher’s face brightened. “It’s _so_ good to have you back.”

“Thank you,” he said, reaching into his bag. “I’ve finished my critical analysis on part XVI of The Iliad.” 

“Thanks Obi-Wan,” she said, smiling. “Although it’s not due for another week. You’ve done very well with staying on top of your work. In fact, you still have the highest grade in the class.”

“That’s good to hear.” 

“Oh!” She said suddenly. “We’re short on desks, so I put our newest student, Cody Fett, at your table during your absence. Do you mind sharing?” 

Yes. “No, of course not,” he said, trying his best not to grimace. 

“Wonderful. You may take your seat then,” she said, and then lowered her voice. “And please don’t hesitate to let me know if there’s anything you need.”

“Uh, thank you.”

Flushing, Obi-Wan clenched his fists and walked toward the middle of the room, to his usual ‘table’. It was truly just a desk that was big enough to accommodate two, but just barely. At this point in time, most of the students had already taken their seats. Many of them were staring at Obi-Wan. A few of them smiled and greeted him, while others appeared to whisper to one another. 

The boy sitting at his table, Cody Fett, looked quite similar to Rex, although his hair was dark and cropped rather than shaved. He also had a peculiar scar on his face, and he looked far more serious than his brother. His short sleeves also showed off well-defined muscles. He must have been an athlete of some sort, or at the very least someone who worked out regularly. 

“Hello,” Obi-Wan greeted him, feeling uncharacteristically cautious, despite being the original owner of that particular table. 

Why did he have to feel so nervous all the time? He never used to struggle like this before, even when talking to new (and attractive) people. Perhaps it was because he hadn’t planned on being _here,_ at school, ever again. He had planned for a lot of things, all of which were now thwarted. 

“Hello,” Cody greeted him shortly. He didn’t sound rude, exactly, but he didn’t sound very enthusiastic either. Obi-Wan didn’t blame him; the table wasn’t very big, and they were complete strangers to one another. 

Obi-Wan sat in the extra chair beside him, pulling out his notebook and a pen. He suddenly felt even more uncomfortable. He wasn’t supposed to be back here, he wasn’t...

His hands began to tremble, so he quickly tugged at the sleeves of his oversized sweater, hiding them from view. 

Stop. Stop stop stop stop stop- calm down. Calm down, be calm...

“Miss Gallia,” Mr. Windu, the assistant principal, was suddenly standing in the doorway. “I apologize for the interruption, but may I speak to Obi-Wan for a moment?” 

Obi-Wan froze. Why would Mr. Windu want to speak to him during class time? 

“Certainly,” Miss Gallia agreed, turning back to finish writing her lesson plan on the board. 

Mr. Windu and most of the class was now looking at him expectantly, and so Obi-Wan was forced to rise from his seat and follow the man into the hallway. 

“Obi-Wan,” Mr Windu greeted him with a soft grin that was quite unusual compared to his normally stoic, stern manner. “It’s good to see you back. How have you been doing today?”

“I’m fine, thanks.” 

“Excellent. Well, I’d like you to know that you have the full support of the staff and faculty of our school. If you need anything, anything at all, please don’t hesitate to reach out.”

Obi-Wan tried his best not to cringe. “Um, thank you Mr. Windu.”

“Of course,” said Mr. Windu. “Your father has also called with some concerns about your lunch period. I know that under usual circumstances, students are allowed to take their lunch anywhere on school grounds. For the time being, however, we both agreed that you should stay in the cafeteria, under direct staff supervision.” 

“Of course,” Obi-Wan agreed quickly, although his insides burned. He always took lunch in the library! Wasn’t Qui-Gon being a little too over-protective? He had never cared much about Obi-Wan _before_ all of this, always too preoccupied with Xanatos’ behavior problems, or on Anakin’s prodigal skills in mechanics and math. Obi-Wan had been the _easy_ child, the last one who was on Qui-Gon’s mind. 

“Wonderful,” the vice principal gave him a brief pat on the shoulder. “Well, I’ll let you get back to class now.”

Obi-Wan returned, and was thankful that Miss Gallia had already begun speaking, meaning that he could focus on her lecture and distract himself from his troubling thoughts. 

“....and you have the rest of the class to work on the assignment. It’s due at the beginning of the class tomorrow,” Miss Gallia was saying. “You can talk with your friends, but please keep it quiet, or else we’ll work silently.” 

The class immediately erupted into low-volumed murmur. Obi-Wan, having already read ahead and completed this particular assignment, listened in on the conversations around him. Most were either complaining about said assignment, complaining about sleepiness, or talking about what they had done over the weekend. 

Obi-Wan mulled over his own thoughts, thinking about what he had to face throughout the rest of his school day. The biggest challenge would be this period, lunch, and statistics, all of which he had alone. He shared second period study hall with his two close friends, Garen and Reeft, and his last period of the day with Quinlan. None of them knew why he had been absent, but he hoped that they would understand his desire for privacy. 

He was distracted from his thoughts by a quiet sigh from his right. Cody was staring down at his assignment, but his mind seemed to be elsewhere, just like Obi-Wan’s. On a sudden whim, Obi-Wan decided that it would be best to break the ice with Cody, seeing as they would be sharing a table for the unforeseeable future. 

“I met one of your brothers this morning,” Obi-Wan said, flushing when he saw Cody’s shoulders jerk in surprise at being spoken to. “In fact, I heard you have a lot of brothers. Do all five of them go to school here?”

“Only two,” said Cody gruffly, his pencil pausing as it hovered over his paper. “Rex and Wolffe. Fives and Echo are twelve, so they’re in junior high, and Boba is ten, so he goes to elementary school.”

“Wow,” Obi-Wan said, cringing inwardly at himself for how artificial he sounded. “Do you guys like it here?”

“It’s alright.”

“What brought you and your family to Coruscant?” 

“My buir- um, dad, got a new work opportunity,” Cody answered. It was hard to tell whether or not he was uncomfortable, but he hadn't looked Obi-Wan in the eye at all, which was rather telling. Obi-Wan hadn’t meant to make their conversation seem like an interrogation. 

“Ah,” he said, trying to redeem himself. “It must be difficult starting a new school in the middle of the year. If you need anything, do let me know.”

Cody glanced at him again. “Uh, thanks.”

Obi-Wan realized how strange he must have sounded. It was _he_ who had been missing for a month. Cody had already been here for two weeks; it wasn’t like this was his first day or anything. 

They didn’t speak to one another for the rest of the class, which was just as well.

He had only been back for one period, and already Obi-Wan was regretting his choice to return to school so soon. Maybe it would be better to be under Qui-Gon’s supervision, even if his every move was watched. 

* * *

  
  


“So Oafy, how was juvy?” 

The words came from Bruck Chun, who had been Obi-Wan’s unofficial rival since elementary school. 

“It was fine,” Obi-Wan said, currently more focused on getting to lunch rather than anything else. The day was already halfway over, and he wasn't sure whether or not he wanted it to be done with or not. Catching up with Garen and Reeft had been nice, but also very awkward. Obi-Wan knew they they deserved a better explanation than "he had been focusing on his mental health," but he just couldn't bring himself to tell them, especially at school. 

“Did you get off early on good behavior?” Bruck tried again, probably trying to make up for a month’s worth of insults. Or perhaps he was just curious, like everyone else in the school was. Either way, Obi-Wan didn’t care. Bruck was harmless, and so were his insults. Besides, it almost felt normal, being targeted by Bruck once again.

“That’s right,” he told Bruck, grinning rather ferally. “I also let a few of the guards kriff me. The inmates as well. I can hook you up with someone if you’d like me to. You seem more of the vanilla type, though; I doubt you’d be able to take it so roughly.” 

Bruck halted, caught off guard at Obi-Wan’s vulgarity. 

Obi-Wan left Bruck gaping in the middle of the hallway. As soon as he made it to the cafeteria, he went straight for an empty table in the corner rather than the lunch line. In order to distract himself, he pulled out his phone for the first time that day and was surprised to see eleven text messages. 

Eight from Anakin and three from Qui-Gon. 

It seemed that escape from his family was impossible, even when he was alone. 

“Are you new here too?”

Obi-Wan closed his phone and looked up at the speaker. It was yet another boy whom he had never encountered before. This one looked younger than both Rex and Cody, but he was obviously their brother. What was most alarming was the jagged scar that ran down one of his eyes, which he had clearly lost sight from. Obi-Wan thought back to Cody’s scar and wondered what on earth this family had been through. 

“Not new,” Obi-Wan said. “But I have been gone for awhile, so I suppose it feels similar.”

“Is that why you’re hiding back here?” The boy asked. “I’ve been doing the same.”

Obi-Wan nodded sympathetically. “Ah, I see. Well, would you like to sit with me?”

“Thanks,” the boy said, taking a seat across from him. “I’ve been sitting here since my first day.” 

“I don’t usually come to the cafeteria at all,” Obi-Wan said. “But I can see why you’ve picked out this spot. You’re Cody and Rex’s brother, right?”

“Yeah,” he nodded. “I’m Wolffe.”

“Aren’t you hungry, Wolffe? You don’t have any lunch.”

“No,” Wolffe said, eyes flickering towards the lunch line. “You don’t have lunch either.”

“True,” Obi-Wan said, and then tried to joke. “School food is just too extravagant for me.”

“I get that,” Wolffe agreed, catching Obi-Wan off guard. “Three dollars a day for lunch is an awful lot.” 

“Is- is that why you sit back here?” Obi-Wan asked, horrified. “Because you can’t afford lunch?”

“I didn’t say that!” Wolffe said defensively. “My buir gives me lunch money every single day!”

“Sorry,” Obi-Wan said. “I didn’t mean to make assumptions.” 

“That’s okay,” the freshman relented. “It’s just...I’m saving it.”

“Saving what?”

“My lunch money,” said Wolffe. “It’s my big brother’s birthday in two weeks, and I want to get him something special.”

“You’re skipping lunch everyday in order to buy your brother a birthday present?”

“Mhm,” Wolffe nodded. “Don’t tell anyone, okay? I want Cody to be surprised.” 

“Okay,” Obi-Wan agreed, feeling his heart melt just the slightest bit. “You know, I share a table with Cody in my literature class.”

“I bet he loves that,” Wolffe said, smiling. 

“What do you mean?”

“Well...you know,” the younger said, gesturing at Obi-Wan as though it should be obvious. 

“I’m not sure that I do,” Obi-Wan told him, thinking back to his first period. Cody had seemed very reluctant to speak to him at all. 

“That’s okay,” Wolffe said. Then, he pulled out a book and started reading, effectively ending their conversation. They spent the last ten minutes in a comfortable silence. 

Obi-Wan decided that he would bring lunch from home tomorrow. 

He would also pack two sandwiches. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait. I've read all your positive feedback and it's really helped me out! 
> 
> Starting November, updates will be much more regular (I'm thinking once a week).

“Feeling hungry?” Qui-Gon asked Obi-Wan, still in the process of slathering a mixture of peanut butter and marshmallow fluff onto a sandwich for Anakin - it was a snack to take to his robotics practice, since he normally ate school lunch. 

“Starving,” Obi-Wan answered, doubling the amount of cheese, tomato, and turkey onto the thick slices of bread. Although Wolffe was more than two years younger than Obi-Wan, he was of a broader build, much like his older brothers, and would appreciate a fully stocked sandwich. 

“Good,” Qui-Gon said, ruffling Obi-Wan’s hair. “I’m glad you’re getting your appetite back.” 

“Me too,” Obi-Wan agreed. He felt a bit guilty about lying, but there wasn’t much else he could say. If Qui-Gon found out he was taking an extra lunch for a freshman, then there was a chance he might suspect neglect, and try to contact the school about it. Better let him think that Obi-Wan enjoyed food again, as he once had.

“You have group therapy at the clinic this afternoon, and then I thought we could enjoy a walk in the park together.” 

Obi-Wan frowned. Individual therapy wasn’t too challenging, but group therapy was a lot worse. There was nothing more humiliating than sitting with a group of people who were just like him - failures. He was able to participate in the discussions well enough, often charming the doctor who led it, but he always felt like screaming on the inside. 

Qui-Gon seemed to notice his change in demeanor. “Only two more required sessions left,” he reminded Obi-Wan. “Then you can stop if you don’t wish to continue.” 

“Yeah…”

Qui-Gon kissed him on the forehead. “It’ll be alright, you’ll see. Now, which one of us is going to take on the challenge of waking up Anakin this morning?” 

* * *

“Tomorrow’s the big day,” Wolffe said, grinning as he bit into his sandwich. 

“Your history exam?”

“No! Well, yes, but I was talking about Cody’s birthday.”

“Ah, I remember.” 

“Do you really think he’ll like his present?”

“I’m sure he will,” Obi-Wan assured him. “If my brother got me a complete set of Mandalorian Classics along with  _ two _ king sized chocolate bars, I would be over the moon.” 

“You’re right,” said Wolffe. “Cody just loves books. Especially old boring ones, written  _ thousands _ of years ago. Did you know he already completed all of his English electives, so he took classic literature just because he wanted to?” 

“He and I have that in common,” Obi-Wan said. 

“Well, that’s not my fault. By the way, thanks for bringing me lunch these past two weeks,” Wolffe said. “You don’t have to anymore, since I just bought the books this morning. Tomorrow I’ll use my lunch money for actual lunch again.” 

“It was my pleasure,” Obi-Wan told him. “I’m just glad that my lunches aren’t going to waste.”

“I still don’t get why you never eat lunch. These sandwiches are amazing.” 

Obi-Wan shrugged. “I just don’t get hungry all that often.”

“Well, I don’t think that’s good. Buir says that having three meals a day is really important.” 

“Your buir sounds wise,” Obi-Wan said, smiling. Wolffe was unusually talkative today, probably because he was so excited about Cody’s birthday gift. More often than not he only spoke a few sentences during lunch, and sometimes not even that. 

“He is,” Wolffe replied. “Wise and strong. He’s been raising all of us by himself, even since I can remember. And then after the accident and everything, he moved us across all the way here just so we could start over.” 

“I don’t think you’ve ever mentioned an accident before,” said Obi-Wan, hesitantly. Although Wolffe was more talkative than Cody (at least to Obi-Wan), he still felt the need to tread carefully. It didn’t take much for him to close right back up. 

“Oh, well-” Wolffe, sure enough, began to look very uncomfortable. “It’s how I lost my eye, and also how- well, it was just pretty bad. I don’t like to talk about it much.” 

“That’s completely understandable,” Obi-Wan reassured him. “You’re not entitled to tell anyone anything that you don’t want to.” 

“A lot of people stare,” Wolfe confessed. “I think some of the girls might even be scared of me.” 

“Ignore them. I do.” 

“I still don’t get why people stare at  _ you _ !” Wolffe said. “I mean, you’re kind to people, and you look really nice too.  _ Me _ I can understand, but you…”

Obi-Wan smiled halfheartedly. “It’s my own fault, really. And you look just fine, Wolffe. My brother Anakin has a pretty noticeable scar on his face. He flaunts it though; ‘Says it makes him look hardened.” 

That got a chuckle from the younger boy. He would be even happier, too, once he had the chance to give his brother the gift he had worked so hard to get. 

  
  


* * *

The following morning, Obi-Wan walked into first period in an excitable mood for a change. 

“Happy birthday!” He told Cody immediately, smiling warmly. 

“Thanks,” Cody said stiffly, pointedly looking away from him. 

Obi-Wan’s heart sank, but he mustered up the courage to slip into his seat. He was going to ask Cody whether or not he had received Wolffe’s present, but the other teen clearly wasn’t in a talking mood. 

He’d been back in school for several weeks now, but he hadn’t made any sort of progress with becoming Cody’s friend. It wasn’t as if Cody hated him - at least Obi-Wan didn’t think so - but he clearly wanted nothing to do with him. It was making Obi-Wan anxious about attending this class each morning. If Wolffe didn’t go on about what a wonderful brother Cody was, then Obi-Wan’s opinion of him would have been much lower based on his behavior. 

Cody’s mood essentially ruined his next period too, but by the time lunch rolled around, Obi-Wan’s spirits grew more uplifted. He expected Wolffe to be over the moon about Cody’s present, and was excited to share in his joy.

When he set foot into the lunch room, however, Obi-Wan quickly panicked upon seeing Wolffe with his head down on the table, an untouched tray of school food beside him. 

“Wolffe?” Obi-Wan called out tentatively as he sat across the table. “Is everything alright?”

“N-No,” Wolffe hiccupped, lifting his head. His face was alarmingly streaked with tears. “H-He thinks I stole the present. ‘Says I have to return it right after school, or else he’ll tell Buir. He didn’t even smile.” 

“There, there,” Obi-Wan said, reaching a hand halfway out, but not touching the younger boy. He wasn’t sure if Wolffe would be comfortable with physical affection, even a shoulder pat. “It’s just a misunderstanding, that’s all.” 

Wolffe looked absolutely heartbroken. “I thought he’d love it.”

Obi-Wan bit his lip anxiously. “He- he didn’t even seem to like it?”

“I don’t know. He just stared at it for a long time, then asked where I took it from. He didn’t even let me explain!” 

That was unacceptable. For the very first time, Obi-Wan actually felt pure anger at the thought of Cody. How could he treat his younger brother so horribly? If Anakin had given him any sort of birthday gift, stolen or not, he would still be touched. 

“Well, like I said, it’s all just a big misunderstanding. You let me take care of it, alright?”

“H-How?”

“You just let me worry about that.” 

  
  


* * *

As soon as the bell rang at the end of the day, Obi-Wan stormed out of his last period without waiting for Anakin to come and get him. He would surely be in for it, but that didn’t really matter at the present moment. 

He went out the side entrance of the school, heading toward the back of the building where students often waited in groups for the busses to come. He knew through Wolffe that the Fett brothers took the bus to and from school most days, so that was where he would most likely find Cody. 

Sure enough, Cody was near the curbside talking to Rex. There was no sign of Wolffe yet, which was probably for the best. 

He stopped in front of the Fett brothers and stared coldly. He was pretty good at looking stern, if he really tried. 

“Cody.”

“Obi-Wan?” Cody’s eyebrows raised, and he looked confused. “What-”

“I need a word with you,” Obi-Wan said briskly. “Right now, if that’s alright.” 

“Sure,” Cody said, baffled. “Alright.”

Obi-Wan led him a few feet away, but still within sight of Rex. He didn’t want to scare Cody or anything, but a lecture would certainly serve him right. 

He cleared his throat and folded his arms. “Wolffe didn’t steal that book set, or even the candy. He’s been saving up for weeks, just so that he could surprise you!”

“Wolffe is barely fourteen,” Cody replied after a moment of silence, clearly taken aback by the direction of the conversation. “He’s not old enough for a job. How did you even know about-”

“He’s been skipping lunch every day, just to save money!” Obi-Wan informed the oldest Fett brother. “If I hadn’t started bringing him sandwiches, he would have gone hungry all day just so he could put a smile on your face. And then you accuse him of theft!”

Cody’s mouth hung open, and his cheeks grew flushed. Obi-Wan was about to say more, but his phone suddenly began blaring. It was most definitely either Anakin or Qui-Gon. He would surely be in trouble, especially if he didn’t meet Qui-Gon in his designated pick-up spot soon. 

“You should be grateful to have such a lovely little brother,” Obi-Wan said hotly as he pressed the silence button on his phone. “Look, I know that I’m just someone in your way. Just a bothersome, strange boy who has to share a seat with you - even though it was  _ my _ seat before it was yours - but please listen to me and accept Wolffe’s birthday gift. He went to such great lengths, and he really loves you. And most importantly, he didn’t steal it!”

He stopped then, realizing that he was attracting quite the audience. Cody was still speechless, and so were Rex and the other surrounding students. Wolffe had arrived too, staring at Obi-Wan with a mixture of awe and disbelief. 

“That’s- that’s all I have to say,” said Obi-Wan, using every fiber of self restraint in order to not twist his fingers together, or pull at his sleeves. He was suddenly coming to terms with the fact that he had just chewed out Cody on his birthday, in front of his brother and several passersby. Even worse, he would have to face Cody on Monday morning and probably endure some sort of retaliation. “Er...have a happy birthday then, and a good weekend.” 

With that, Obi-Wan quickly turned on his heel and took off before Cody or anyone else could respond to him. His heart was pounding much too fast, enough to make him feel rather dizzy. He made it to the corner of the building before he was caught. 

“Obi-Wan!” Anakin had seemingly sprung out of nowhere, grabbing him by the shoulders. “Where the kriff did you- Obi-Wan, what’s the matter?” 

“I- I did something rash, Anakin.”

“It’s okay,” Anakin said. “Just take a deep breath. Let me text Qui-Gon, he’s texted me twice now. If I don’t answer him soon, he’ll come hunt us down.” 

“D-Don’t let him see me like this,” Obi-Wan said, trying to control his fast, shallow breathing. “Or else he won’t let me out of his sight for the whole weekend.” 

“I’m telling him you’re talking to your teacher about something,” Anakin said, typing quickly into his phone. “There. Now tell me what’s going on, Obi-Wan.” 

“I just told off Cody Fett for hurting his little brother’s feelings,” Obi-Wan explained miserably. 

Out of all the things Anakin expected Obi-Wan to say, that was probably the last. 

“Wha- Cody Fett? You mean Rex’s older brother? The one you sit next to in Lit?” 

“That’s right,” Obi-Wan nodded. 

“What’d he do to Rex?”

“Not Rex. Wolffe.” 

“Oh, the one with the scar?” 

“Yeah,” Obi-Wan said, and then he gave a watered-down version of what had happened. When he finished his story, he was surprised to see Anakin grinning. 

“Sounds like you had a reasonable cause.”

“Anakin, today is his birthday!”

“I’m just glad to see you acting like your old self. Remember last year, when you told off Krell for beating up some freshmen?” 

“Cody is nothing like Krell,” Obi-Wan said, nose wrinkling in disgust at the comparison. 

“I know that. I just meant that it’s nice to see you sticking up for people. You’d better not tell Qui-Gon that you’ve been giving away your lunches, though. He’s been worried about your diet.”

“He’s been worried about everything,” Obi-Wan reminded him. Anakin didn’t respond right away, and Obi-Wan immediately felt guilty. Both Qui-Gon and Anakin had a right to be worried, and he didn’t have a right to complain. 

For a moment he wasn’t in the schoolyard, but the hospital instead. The blinding white lights, the smell of antiseptic, and the frowning, condescending doctor leaning over him. He remembered breaking down, because it hadn’t worked - he felt like death but hadn’t  _ achieved _ death. And then he couldn’t leave, they didn’t let him, and there was no control -

“Come on,” Anakin brought him back to the present. “Let’s go. If we both beg, maybe Qui-Gon will take us out to eat somewhere. I'm starving.”

“Alright,” Obi-Wan nodded, allowing himself to be led away. Besides, there was nothing that could be done about Cody over the weekend. It was a problem he would have to face on Monday morning instead. 

* * *

**Monday Morning**

* * *

Obi-Wan was unusually early to his first period on Monday morning, because Qui-Gon had needed to stop in at the university and drop off some time-sensitive paperwork. He trudged over to his seat slowly, slumping down in defeat as he imagined how his day would go. He was the only student in class, but Cody was sure to arrive soon, seeing as he was usually already seated whenever Obi-Wan normally arrived. 

The clock seemed to tick much too fast, and the bell grew closer and closer to ringing. Obi-Wan had to talk himself out of fleeing more than once. He even began to chew on one of his hangnails, a habit he hadn’t partook in since he was very young. 

But just as he was on the verge of skipping class, a brown paper bag was dropped down onto the table. Obi-Wan looked up, his eyes widening when he saw Cody Fett staring down at him. As usual, there was no smile on his face, and Obi-Wan could feel the blood drain from his own. Just as he was about to try and say something, Cody surprised him by shoving the bag forward a few inches. 

“I don’t think you’re bothersome.” 

“W-What?”

“You said that the other day,” Cody said, his face still contorted into a troubled frown. “But it’s not true. I don’t mind sharing a table. Not at all, in fact. And I’m really sorry that I made you think that. I’m just not that good at people-ing.”

“Oh,” Obi-Wan blinked. His face began to grow warm. “Thank you, Cody. Truly. I’m sorry for being so rude when I was confronting you.”

“You hardly have anything to be sorry for,” Cody said, taking his seat next to Obi-Wan. “You’ve been there for Wolffe in ways that I haven’t for weeks now. That’s why I’ve brought you a chocolate muffin.”

“There was no need to do that,” Obi-Wan said, amused. 

“Yes there was. I owe you big time, and Wolffe too. I’ll make it up to you somehow, I swear on it.”

“There isn’t any need.” 

“Yes there is. He explained everything to me, when we got home on Friday. I’ve been a complete laserbrain since we’ve moved here. This whole move is just a lot to take in still. I know it’s no excuse…”

“I get it,” Obi-Wan told him. “From what Wolffe has told me, you’re a wonderful brother to all of your siblings. I wouldn’t worry so much.” 

Well, thanks. But I still owe you. Here, take my number at the very least.”

“If you insist,” Obi-Wan said, accepting the sticky note that was held out to him. “I’ll give you mine too.”

For the first time ever, they both shared a smile. 

They also shared the chocolate muffin. 

* * *

Because his medication made him so sleepy, Obi-Wan had taken to napping shortly after he arrived home from school. This typically happened after sitting in the kitchen with Qui-Gon, forcing down some sort of snack and carefully answering any questions about how his day had been. 

Today, Obi-Wan awoke early from his nap to the sound of raised voices coming from down the hallway. He felt groggy and irritated for a brief moment, since he wouldn’t have been disrupted from sleep if Qui-Gon didn’t insist that his door be kept at least a quarter of the way open these days - but then he began to actually listen to what was being said. 

“Qui-Gon, Friday is our _six_ _month_ anniversary!”

“Anakin, if I could reschedule this conference, you know I would. But it’s going to be over three hours long, and it’s held all the way across the city. Counting in the traffic time, I won’t be back till almost eleven.” 

“I shouldn’t have to babysit my  _ older _ brother.” 

Qui-Gon’s voice became sharp with anger. “Your brother is  _ sick _ ! How can you be so selfish?”

“Oh, so  _ I’m _ the selfish one? I didn’t try to throw away  _ my _ life!”

That was about all Obi-Wan could take. His face flushed red, and he felt himself burning to the core with humiliation. He shut his door all the way, not caring about the consequences for the time being. 

Qui-Gon and Anakin were having a bad fight, but it was neither of their faults. Qui-Gon couldn’t help having the occasional impromptu conference; he was head of the Humanities Department at Coruscant’s community university, and he’d already drastically reduced his hours since Obi-Wan had come home from the hospital.

As for Anakin, he was only a young teenager, one who had his first serious girlfriend. It wasn’t fair for his plans to always revolve around Obi-Wan now. Since coming home, Obi-Wan hadn’t stayed home by himself at all, not even for a few minutes. 

_ ‘This is your own fault,’ _ his awful, wretched brain reminded him.  _ ‘If your plan had worked, then everything would be fine. Qui-Gon would be working full-time again, and Anakin could spend all of his time with his girlfriend, like he deserves.’  _

For a moment, he looked around his room, desperately searching for anything that could help get his mind out of his ‘bad place,’ as he and his therapist had taken to calling it. He wanted to go back to sleep, so that everything would be quiet again, and he didn’t have to think anymore. 

_ ‘If at first you don’t succeed….’ _

“No,” Obi-Wan whispered. He sat down roughly at his desk, gulping in deep breaths of air, trying to do one of the breathing exercises he’d learned at the hospital. As awful as it was having to be locked up there, the doctors had taught him a trick or two to aid him in calming down. 

He spent several minutes doing this, until his heart began to calm down, and he didn’t feel so trapped and helpless. He allowed his focus to shift on how he could resolve the situation between Qui-Gon and Anakin. After all, he owed it to both of them. 

Just as his brain began to actually become useful and give him an idea, there was a knock on the door. 

“Obi-Wan?” Anakin called out, tentatively pushing the door open. Obi-Wan was sitting at his desk, with his back towards his brother. This gave him the advantage of taking one final deep breath and ensuring that he had completely composed himself. 

“H-Hello Anakin,” he said, turning around, forcing himself to smile. It probably looked more like a grimace instead. 

“Hi,” Anakin stepped in further, rubbing the back of his neck and not calling Obi-Wan out on the fact that his door had been closed. “So, you probably heard me fighting with Qui-Gon a few minutes ago. I was just upset about- well, I swear I’m not mad at you or anything, I just-”

“Anakin,” Obi-Wan stopped him. “I’m your brother. You’re allowed to get mad at me without worrying that I’ll- uh, do something. Anyways, I have a solution to both our problems, so get in here so we can discuss it.” 

“Huh?”

“Close the door,” Obi-Wan ordered, waiting until Anakin had done so before beckoning him closer, gesturing toward his bed. 

Anakin flopped down on the bed. “Obi-Wan, what’s going on?”

“We both have a problem. You want to go celebrate your anniversary on Friday night, and I want to spend an evening without feeling like I’m being smothered. Right?”

“Right…”

“Well, I have a solution. One that will fix both of our problems.” 

Anakin shifted, looking even more guilty than when he’d first come in. “Look Obi-Wan, I really don’t feel comfortable leaving you by yourself. Padme and I will be okay waiting for another night. I promise.” 

“Anakin, I wouldn’t be alone. I actually wanted to spend time with one of my  _ own _ friends.”

“Oh,” Anakin’s eyebrows shot up. As far as he and Qui-Gon knew, Obi-Wan hadn’t wanted any of his friends over since the incident. “Garen?”

“No, someone else.” 

“Reeft?”

“No.”

“Obi-Wan, if you’re not telling the truth-”

“I’m not lying!” Obi-Wan snapped, and then sighed. “Look, it’s Cody Fett.”

“Cody Fett?” Realization suddenly seemed to dawn on Anakin, and he smirked. “Oh, I gotcha.”

“He owes me a favor,” Obi-Wan said, glaring warningly at his brother. 

“Is that what they call it these days?”

“Anakin! Do you want to spend Friday out with Padme or not?”

“Of course I do. Let’s make it a deal!” Anakin agreed quickly. “On one condition. You know I love you Obi-Wan, but I gotta make sure you aren’t lying. I want to see Cody with my own eyes before I leave. And you have to be back here at the same time as me, so Qui-Gon won’t find out.” 

“Obviously,” Obi-Wan said, though he smiled. “It’s a deal, then.” 

He and Anakin shook on it. 

“Obi-Wan?” Anakin said, pausing on his way out. “I really do love you.”

“I know, Ani.” 

Anakin left in high spirits, and even Obi-Wan felt settled. As soon as he was alone, he picked up his phone and dialled his newest contact. 

“Cody? This is Obi-Wan Kenobi. You remember that favor you insisted on?”


	3. Chapter 3

Obi-Wan and Anakin stood side by side in the living room under Qui-Gon’s scrutinizing gaze. 

“There’s money on the counter - you may each order takeout from wherever you’d like. I’ll also have my phone on the whole time, so don’t hesitate to call me if you need to. If all goes well, I should be back just a little after eleven, so long as the city traffic isn’t too bad.” 

After saying all this, Qui-Gon pressed a kiss to Obi-Wan’s forehead and then ruffled Anakin’s messy locks. 

“Behave yourselves,” he told them, smiling. Still, under his cheerful facade, Obi-Wan could see the hidden concern in his eyes. This was the first time, minus when Obi-Wan was at school, that Qui-Gon would be gone for more than an hour or two. As head of the Department of Humanities at Coruscant’s public university, Qui-Gon was required to attend an evening meeting in concern of the school’s night classes. There was no getting out of it, and so he had no choice but to trust that everything would go well. 

“Oh we will,” Anakin promised him, slinging an arm around Obi-Wan’s shoulders. Both teens watched calmly as Qui-Gon departed. As soon as they heard the rumble of his car fade down the road, Anakin thumped Obi-Wan on the back and darted into the kitchen. 

“He left us forty credits - that’s twenty each!” Anakin said, holding up the money. 

“How generous of him,” Obi-Wan snatched his share from Anakin, tucking it away into his pocket.

“Padme’s on her way to pick me up,” Anakin said. “We’re gonna go out for dinner and watch the stars together.”

“How romantic.” 

“Yeah, yeah. Is your boyfriend going to be here soon?” 

“My  _ friend _ will be here any minute,” Obi-Wan told him, rolling his eyes. 

“Cool,” Anakin said. “Okay, so here’s the plan. We both get back here at ten-thirty. You know Qui-Gon; his ETA is always incredibly inaccurate.” 

“True,” Obi-Wan agreed. A moment later, his phone buzzed. “That’ll be Cody.” 

“Great. Tell him to get in here so I can make sure you’re not lying to me.” 

Obi-Wan chose to ignore Anakin’s words, quickly walking to the front door and flinging it open. Cody was on the doorstep, his fist raised, only a second away from knocking. 

“Oh,” he blinked. “Hi, Obi-Wan.” 

“Hello Cody,” Obi-Wan smiled. “I’m glad you could make it. Please, come inside for a moment.”

“Hiya Cody,” Anakin grinned and stuck out his hand as soon as Cody passed the door frame. “How’s it going? You find the place okay? Did you drive here yourself?”

“I’m fine,” Cody said, in that endearingly awkward way of his, obviously overwhelmed with the rapid-fire questions. He gripped Anakin’s hand for a moment, and then quickly let go. “Uh, yeah. My buir let me borrow his car.” 

“Good, good,” Anakin said as he appraised the older teen. Then, after a moment of awkward silence: “Well, don’t let me keep you guys, then. Make sure Obi-Wan eats dinner, okay?” 

“Come on Cody,” Obi-Wan said quickly, shooting Anakin a dirty look. He didn’t need Cody thinking that he was incompetant or anything - he could feed himself just fine. He ushered Cody back out the door, eager to get away from Anakin and any further teasing. 

“Thanks for doing this,” Obi-Wan said, once they were alone in the car. 

“I owed you,” Cody replied, looking over his shoulder as he backed out of the driveway. “But I would have been up for hanging out either way, whether I owed you or not.” 

“Well, we can really do whatever you want. I just wanted to get away from home for a few hours.” And not ruin Anakin’s night by having to be babysat by him. 

“Oh,” Cody’s brows furrowed. “Well, it doesn’t matter to me either.” 

“Well, what do you usually do on Friday nights?”

“Nothing special,” Cody answered quietly. “Just...stay with my family, really. Buir is usually home in time to make dinner on weekends, so we all have dinner together and then watch a movie, or play a game or something. What about you?”

“Er, I don’t do anything special either,” Obi-Wan said quickly. Back before things had become so messed up, he used to have a pretty active social life. Now he was mostly housebound on weekends. Strangely enough, however, he didn’t crave going somewhere very public tonight. That’s why he came up with an alternative suggestion. 

“Well, we could always go to your house. I don’t want you to miss out on a family dinner.”

“Oh, I didn’t mean it like that!” Cody said quickly, a little alarmed. “I can survive a night without them. I mean, I didn’t always- I just had a lot more friends before moving here. I probably seem like some sort of a social recluse now.”

“That makes two of us,” Obi-Wan said, chuckling. 

“But you are right about dinner,” Cody said. “We should eat something.” 

“Sounds good to me. And it’ll be my treat.”

“Oh, you don’t need to do that Obi-Wan.”

“I’m the one who invited you out. Besides, Qui-Gon gave me money, and I don’t intend to waste it. Now where should we go?” 

“Well, I’m still pretty new to the area,” Cody reminded him. “Where would you recommend?”

“Hmm,” Obi-Wan hummed thoughtfully. Then, he smiled. “I know just the place. Turn right at the end of the street, and then head right again. It’s just a few minutes away…” 

* * *

“Obi-Wan!” 

“Hello Dex,” Obi-Wan greeted the overly enthusiastic Besalisk. 

“C’mere buddy!” Dex pulled Obi-Wan into a hug, thumping him on the back with a little too much force. “How’ve you been? It feels like ages. And who’s this, eh?” 

“This is Cody,” Obi-Wan introduced his friend, who hung back rather shyly. “He’s new to the area and has never had your food before - something I had to immediately rectify.” 

“Welcome youngin’!” Dex said to Cody. “Come on boys, take a seat. We’ll get you all the good fixings….”

“I’ve known Dex for a long time,” Obi-Wan told Cody, once they were both seated in a booth tucked away in the corner, where Dex knew Obi-Wan liked to sit best. “I come here with my family a lot. Qui-Gon, helped Dex out of some trouble years ago, before he even opened this diner. The food is good, and the atmosphere is usually bustling, but in a soothing sort of way…”

He hadn’t been to Dex’s since leaving the hospital. It wasn’t until he sunk his teeth into his Nerfburger that he realized how much he had missed the food. The burger, along with the greasy fried tubers and thick chocolate shake, seemed to fill the hollow feeling that always seemed to be present in his stomach. 

“Wow,” Cody let out a small moan, immediately taking another bite of his own burger. 

It appeared that Obi-Wan had once again brought Dex a new loyal customer. 

* * *

“Hey, could I ask you something, if it’s not too personal?” 

“Sure,” said Obi-Wan. They had finished their meal some time ago. First they had chatted aimlessly while wandering the quiet streets, but soon landed themselves in an empty park, laying in the sweet smelling grass and bathing in the light of the stars. 

“Why do you always call your father by his first name, Qui-Gon?”

“Oh,” Obi-Wan blinked, caught off guard by the question. “I always have, for as long as I can remember. Maybe it’s because my older brothers have always called him by his name. He fostered them, too, before adopting, so I guess it just became a habit.”

“You were adopted?”

“Yes, we all were. Me, my two older brothers, and Anakin. I’ve been with Qui-Gon since I was around two, and he adopted me on my third birthday. It was the best present I ever could have received.”

“Wow. I’m sure that it was,” said Cody. “What happened to...I mean, why were...” 

“My birth parents? No idea. They abandoned me when I was around six months.” Obi-Wan grinned. “But I’ve turned out reasonably okay. Well, I was. I mean- sort of. I think I’ll be okay eventually…” 

Obi-Wan almost laughed at himself for tripping over his own words. For some reason, it felt natural to speak honestly to Cody, despite only just getting to know him. 

“What do you mean?” Cody looked at him closely. “I’m sorry - I really didn’t mean to pry, or upset you. I-”

“No, it’s okay,” Obi-Wan told him, shaking his head. “The truth is, Cody, that I’ve not been okay in a very long time. My family found that out when I tried to off myself a month or so ago. Ever since then I’ve been watched like a hawk. So I really appreciate the chance to get out like this - your family home is quite refreshing compared to my own place, as well as the school and the hospital.”

Obi-Wan’s calm and cheery demeanor did nothing for Cody, who had grown very pale with worried, narrowed eyes. “You- You tried to kill yourself?” 

“Tried,” Obi-Wan agreed with a shrug. “And failed, as you can see. I- er, haven’t talked about it much. Please don’t say anything to anybody at school.” 

“I won’t,” Cody said immediately, still looking very much in shock. “No, of course I won’t. But you- I mean- are you alright?” 

“I’m sorting through it,” Obi-Wan said. “I apologize for springing it on you like this. I suppose it’s because you’re still fairly new to me, and sometimes it’s easier to talk to someone who hasn’t known you since early childhood.” 

“Yeah,” Cody agreed, still frowning. “Obi-Wan, I- I probably haven’t made things very easy for you, have I?”

“You’ve been just fine,” Obi-Wan assured him. “I think the hardest part is all the rumors. You wouldn’t believe the stuff people can come up with when they use their imaginations.” 

“A girl in my math class thinks you were poisoned.” 

“Well, from a certain point of view,” Obi-Wan snickered, and at Cody’s look of confusion he explained: “My method involved overdosing on a cocktail of prescription drugs.”

“God,” Cody closed his eyes. “You talk about it so casually.” 

“Yeah,” Obi-Wan finally stopped grinning. “My psychiatrist would probably say that it’s some sort of coping mechanism. I wouldn’t know, since you’re the first person I’ve really talked about it with, aside from her. Not even my father. This whole thing has really devastated him.”

“I can imagine,” Cody murmured. He was quiet for a moment, before taking a deep breath from his nose and turning so he could look Obi-Wan in the eyes. “I’m really glad that you’re still here. I know we haven’t known each other for long, but...well, I wouldn’t know you at all if it had worked.” 

“Thank you Cody,” Obi-Wan said, his chest suddenly feeling much more lighter. For a moment, he considered kissing Cody, just like in one of the cliche romance movies that Anakin was so fond of. But this wasn’t a movie, it was just life. So he smiled to himself, leaning back and admiring the beauty of the night sky. 

* * *

When Cody dropped him off, it was almost eleven. Obi-Wan had been relaxed for the entire ride, but that changed as soon as he saw Qui-Gon’s car in the driveway. He must have come back early. 

“Kriff!” Obi-Wan cursed. 

“What’s wrong?” Cody looked over worriedly. 

“My dad’s probably having a mental breakdown.” Over his mental son. Oh, the irony. “Don’t worry, I just need to get inside before he does something drastic.” 

“Oh,” Cody frowned as he pulled into the driveway. “Well, is there anything I can do to help?”

“You’ve already helped me so much. Thank you Cody, for letting me into your life for a night. I truly appreciate it.” 

“Anytime. I mean it, Obi-Wan.” 

They stared at one another for a brief second. The air suddenly felt very warm, and Obi-Wan’s gaze flickered from Cody’s dark eyes to his smooth skin and full lips. If Obi-Wan wasn’t so anxious and Cody wasn’t so awkward, it might have been another good moment to kiss. Obi-Wan  _ had _ confessed all of his dark thoughts and secrets to him, so it might have been okay. 

Instead, Obi-Wan merely smiled in thanks as he left the car, and then he made a mad dash for the house. Cody left promptly, which was probably for the best, seeing as the front door opened before Obi-Wan could fully reach it. 

“Obi-Wan!” Qui-Gon sprang upon Obi-Wan before he could get all the way through the door. He looked absolutely terrified, and rightly so, seeing as he had been back for almost half an hour and there was no sign of his depressed, potentially suicidal son. 

“See? I told you he would be back any minute!” Anakin said loudly, standing further in the living room. 

“You were supposed to be with him!” Qui-Gon snapped before turning his attention back to Obi-Wan. “Are you hurt? Where did you go? I was about to call the police, I-” 

“I’m fine Qui-Gon,” Obi-Wan said, feeling irritated. He had been in such a good mood just a moment ago. “I was with a- a friend. He’s from school.” 

“Who? Garen?”

“No, he’s a new friend. You haven’t met him. We had dinner and went for a walk, that’s all. Please don’t be mad at Anakin, it was  _ my _ idea. I planned the whole thing as soon as you told us about the meeting.” 

He said this firmly, looking into his father’s eyes imploringly. 

Qui-Gon’s eyes softened a bit. “Why didn’t you ask me?” He questioned. 

“I- I-” Obi-Wan felt his throat close up. He didn’t want to tell Qui-Gon how bothersome his smothering could be at times. He knew how much he had worried his father, so it didn’t feel right to complain.

Before Obi-Wan could come up with some sort of excuse, Anakin both saved and doomed him with one simple line. 

“Cody’s his  _ boyfriend _ ,” Anakin said, eyes filled with glee when Obi-Wan glared at him. 

“Boyfriend?” Qui-Gon perked up immediately. 

“No!” Obi-Wan snapped, turning bright red. “He’s not- we’re just friends!” 

“For now,” said Anakin. 

“Anakin!” Obi-Wan took a threatening step towards his brother. 

“Alright now,” Qui-Gon put a placating hand on Obi-Wan’s shoulder. However, he seemed significantly less upset than he had been before Anakin used the dreaded b-word. “It’s getting late. Obi-Wan, it’s time to take your medication. Then I think you should both get to bed.”

“But it’s Friday,” Anakin complained. 

“You have a busy weekend,” Qui-Gon reminded him. “So you could use the rest. And...I’m sorry that I yelled at you, Ani. I know how conniving Obi-Wan can be - I raised him, after all.”

“It’s okay,” Anakin said, his mouth curving up into a half smile. Qui-Gon chucked him under his chin, barely leaning down to kiss him on the forehead. It was crazy that Anakin, not even fully grown yet, was already almost as tall as his adopted father. Obi-Wan was going to be the shortest one in the family, which really wasn’t fair. 

Instead of enduring the forehead kiss like Obi-Wan always did, Anakin ducked and swatted at the attempted affection. 

“Night!” He called, hurrying upstairs and taking the steps two at a time. Both Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan watched him, bemused. 

When he was out of sight, Qui-Gon turned his attention back to Obi-Wan. 

“So….boyfriend?”

Obi-Wan groaned; he was going to kill Anakin. 

* * *

The rest of the weekend passed uneventfully, at least for Obi-Wan. His Saturday consisted of running around the city with Qui-Gon on errands. They visited the farmers’ market, the post office, and the university, where he wandered around the campus while Qui-Gon held his office hours and met with students. 

The calmness of the weekend changed late on Sunday night, when Obi-Wan awoke from a fitful sleep. He spent several minutes tossing and turning, but then decided that there was no way he would be able to go back to sleep right away. His mind was racing too much, about all sorts of things. He thought about Cody - his warm eyes and concern. He thought about the hospital - the straps and doctors and cold-tiled floors. He thought about the future - a future that was still unplanned, seeing as he once didn’t think he would be living to even have a future. 

Obi-Wan figured it wouldn’t hurt to go downstairs and get some juice, and perhaps take advantage of whatever the late night cable had to offer. That would distract him, and perhaps lull him into some sort of sleep. 

Upon leaving his room, however, Obi-Wan was surprised to see the downstairs lights already on. That meant someone was awake. Probably Qui-Gon, seeing as Anakin had been wiped out from swim practice and a three hour group meetup concerning his latest idea for the robotics club. 

But when Obi-Wan started down the stairs, he could hear two distinct voices. One was definitely Qui-Gon, but the other one was certainly not Anakin. It seemed that Grandfather had decided to make tonight one of his annual surprise visits. This was strange, seeing as it was nearly midnight. 

Grandfather normally only visited twice a year: Always on Yule, and some other random date where he usually took them all by surprise by popping in unexpectedly, always to Qui-Gon’s consternation. It seemed that now was one of those times. 

His true name was Yan Dooku, and he was the governor of Serenno. He was a busy man - often too busy for even his own son and grandchildren. Obi-Wan knew that Qui-Gon and Grandfather often didn’t see eye to eye, especially when it came to how Qui-Gon was living his life, and raising all of his adopted children. Qui-Gon had once told Obi-Wan that Grandfather thought Qui-Gon should have gone into politics, and not education. There was a lot more to it than that, but Qui-Gon didn’t like speaking about those kinds of issues. 

Obi-Wan didn’t mind his grandfather so much. Out of all of them, Grandfather seemed to tolerate him the most. Several times throughout the course of his visits, they would share a cup of tea together and have some sort of philosophical discussion. But even if Obi-Wan didn’t mind his grandfather, he didn’t exactly like the man, or feel very close to him. 

Truth be told, seeing as his grandfather wasn’t very involved in any of their lives, he rarely thought of the man unless he was visiting. The one act of generosity Grandfather did was send them checks on their birthdays, usually quite a large sum, too. Qui-Gon always took the checks and deposited them into each of their savings accounts, so they could use them for college, or wherever life took them after graduating one day. Feemor had used his for school and to travel abroad, while Xanatos had used his to get into trouble. 

Obi-Wan froze on his spot halfway down the stairs, gripping the railing as he strained to hear whatever it was that they were talking about. As he caught onto the conversation, his blood went cold. 

“The boy needs serious medical care, Qui-Gon.”

“He has a great doctor, and a psychiatrist that he sees twice a week.” 

“ _ Proper _ medical care,” Grandfather emphasized. “Serenno has some of the best hospitals around. He would be under the supervised care of a full team of mental health professionals.” 

“Obi-Wan was already discharged - and he hated his stay in the psychiatric unit. It would make him miserable, which is the exact opposite of what everyone wants for him. He’s not sick in the body, Father, he’s sick in the heart.” 

“Did I say he would stay in the hospital?” Grandfather asked, raising an eyebrow. “He would stay with me, of course.”

“And take him away from school? He’s only just gone back-”

“Yes - to an understaffed, underpaid,  _ filthy _ public school. It’s no wonder the boy has had trouble. He has so much potential - what he needs now is proper guidance, a place where he can have the best care and education - where he can hone his skills into something constructive.”

“Obi-Wan needs his family,” Qui-Gon said quietly. 

“And just what am I?”

“You’re not the one who raised him. He needs me, and he needs Anakin.” 

“Skywalker carries a whole different set of problems. And speaking of which, wasn’t  _ he _ the one who found Obi-Wan that day, unconscious, blue-lipped, and on the verge of death? I’m surprised he hadn’t had a mental breakdown himself.”

“Stop it,” Qui-Gon said sharply. His face had gone white. “Anakin has declined to see a therapist, and I can hardly force him to. He’s been a great help in Obi-Wan’s recovery.” 

“That boy is going to end up just like Xanatos. You ought to be putting your full effort into curbing that wild streak of his. It’s what you signed up for though - adopting him at such a late age. I did warn you...”

“You said you were here to discuss Obi-Wan’s health, not to criticize each of my children. I’ll have you know that Xanatos has been an exceptional inmate throughout his incarceration - the officers say he’s a role model to the other prisoners. He’ll likely be out soon if he keeps up the good work. And Anakin is doing wonderfully - he's skipped a full grade, he’s involved in extracurriculars, and he even has a steady relationship. He’s going to go places.” 

“Regardless, he’s no doubt detrimental in concern to Obi-Wan’s welfare.” 

“Father-”

“I will fight you on this if I have to, Qui-Gon. I am confident the court would be highly in favor of me becoming Obi-Wan’s medical guardian. I do, afterall, have friends in high places.”

There was a long, unsettling silence. Obi-Wan, even from his hiding spot, could literally feel the anger and tension radiating from Qui-Gon. 

“You would take my son away from me?” 

“For his own good - yes, I would. If there’s so much as a footstep backwards in his health, you will find yourself in court faster than you can blink. I will be keeping watch, Qui-Gon. Do not take my threat lightly.” 

“I won’t,” Qui-Gon said, his voice as hard as durasteel. 

There was a shuffling noise, and a few moments later the front door shut loudly. As soon as Grandfather was gone, Qui-Gon let out a string of violent curses. 

Obi-Wan decided that it was best to come out of hiding, coming further down the stairs and around the corner. 

Qui-Gon caught sight of him and quickly wiped his eyes. “Obi-Wan? What are you doing up? Is everything alright?” 

“I’m just fine,” Obi-Wan told him softly. “I couldn’t sleep though.”

“You’ve been listening to me and your grandfather,” Qui-Gon said in realization. 

“I have,” Obi-Wan agreed, biting his lip worriedly. “Qui-Gon?”

“Yes, Obi-Wan?”

“I don’t want to live with Grandfather. I really, really don’t want to.” 

Qui-Gon looked at him for a long moment. “Come here,” he then said, beckoning Obi-Wan over for a hug. “It will be alright. That’s not going to happen.” 

Obi-Wan pressed his cheek against Qui-Gon’s throat, closing his eyes. 

“Okay.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eh, I decided to come off anon. I want to put more focus into this fic, if people are still interested in it. 
> 
> Happy Monday, everyone!


End file.
